Communication Technology
1005 Visual Composition
1005.1 Elements of Design
Elements of design are the components or parts which can be isolated and defined in any visual design or work of art. They are the structure of the work, and can carry a wide variety of messages. If you did a google search of elements of design on the internet, you will find many variations of this concept. In the EBHS' Comm Tech course, we have decided to focus on the following.
Line
A line is a mark between two points. There are various types of lines, from straight to squiggly to curved and more. Lines can be used for a wide range of purposes: stressing a word or phrase, connecting content to one another, creating patterns and much more.
Colour
Colour is used to generate emotions, define importance, create visual interest and more. Some colours are warm and active (orange, red); some are cool and passive (blue, purple).
Shape
Height + width = shape. We all learned basic shapes in grade school - triangles, squares, circles and rectangles. Odd or lesser seen shapes can be used to attract attention.
There are three basic types of shape: Geometric (triangles, squares, circles, etc), natural (leaves, animals, trees, people, etc), and abstracted (icons, stylizations, graphic representations, etc.).
Texture
Texture relates to the surface of an object: the look or feel of it. Concrete has a rough texture; drywall has a smooth and subtle texture. Using texture in design is a great way to add depth and visual interest. Printed material has actual, textile texture while screen material has implied texture
Value
Value is how light or how dark an area looks. A gradient is a great way to visualize value - everything from dark to white, all the shades in between, has value. Use value to create depth and light; to create a pattern; to lead the eye; or to emphasize.
Space
Space is the area around or between elements in a design. It can be used to separate or group information. Use it effectively to: give the eye a rest; define importance; lead the eye through a design and more
Form
An element of art that is three-dimensional and encloses volume; includes height, width AND depth (as in a cube, a sphere, a pyramid, or a cylinder). Form may also be free flowing.
1005.1 Assignment
Review the above listed seven elements of design. Use a camera (on automatic and colour mode) to capture seven photographs that illustrate each of the elements of design. Display your work on your portfolio webpage. Each photograph should be captioned. Write about why you think the given photograph is a good example of the particular element of design you are emphasizing. This will be assignment 1 of 4 on a single page for 1005. It should be titled 1005.1 - Elements of Design. You may wish to review the markscheme so that you are aware of how it will be assessed.